There are several elements to the northern coastal regions of France. There may be more than I discovered this weekend on my trip to Mont St. Michel and coastal Bretagne, but that which follows is what I now know:
Sea- cool Atlantic waters with warm winds....
Stone- worn away with time and waves, the stone of the coast is always wet and mossy. The stairs of Mont St. Michel, the monastery, event he base of this little village are all dependent on stone. Smoothe and sturdy. The stones on the coast of Normandie and Bretagne have worn away centuries of time. Covered in algea and salt, the rocks off the coast of Bretage are savage and beautiful. Tangible by sight and even more so by touch. Juxtopposed with golden sand the longstanding pillars and planes uder the sea are exposed with low tide when we can truly take in their beauty.
Salt- one cannot visit the coast without smelling, tasting or seeing salt. It's in the air you breathe, it settles on your skin and into each strand of hair. The wind carries it and each bite of food you taste has salt in it. Not to an excess, but in a maner of subtle and constant taste. My favorite quickly became the raw salt crystals infused with seawead. Sprinkle it on an oyster or over poisson gratiné (fish gratin) or even two or three grains on the tip of your tongue and the richness is understood.
Oysters- the richest I've yet tasted. Grown in little farms on the coast, the little portable house creatures are a favorite in Cancale, a small town on the coast in Bretagne. I am not a fan, personally, but I believe that if you have the opportunity to experience something rare and beautiful, there should be risks taken, especially for food. The worst that can happen is that you won't like the taste. (Unless you have food allergies, which I do. In any case, knowing these limitations helps and finding room in between, well, that's the fun part).
I am with Aurélie's parents in a restaurant in Cancale. We order fish and oysters- "les fruits du mer" (fruits of the sea) in this coastal area. I hesitantly take the oyster into my hand and poke its little body with my fork. A squeeve of lemon and a small dash of salt, I lift the shell towards my mouth and 'squiff squiff' (that's the sound I make when I slurp oysters) into my mouth. A burst of rich flavor paired with stinging citron, I chew and swallow the little morsel boldly. A pause. "Do you like it?" Aurélie's parents ask enthusiastically, hoping for a positive response. I reply that, yes, I like it. But I also explain that it is incredibly rish for my mouth. It is delicious and I am pleased.
Butter- the sister of salt. Butter in Bretagne is salted with the large grains of raw salt crystal. Soft yellow color- real butter. "I can't believe real butter is this good". That kind of butter. Add warm ciabatta... well, you know the rest.
Cider- the folk in Normandie and Bretagne have fluched red cheeks. Why? They like their distilled liquor. Cider. Made from the apples in Normandie. I believe they get the apples drunk and then squeeze them into bottles. I sampled a very very very small serving and my throat was on fire. That stuff is for studs only. Or the the people of the coast. In any case, I don't think I'd 'keep up' on a night out with them.
I missed the ocean. It was a good trip to take to escape from "city life". It was hard to leave it too. In any case, I felt refreshed and happy. Climbing the stairs of an ancient moestary (founded in the 10th century!) and seeing landscapes that have kept up with time itself, I felt very alive and all at once seperated from any sadness of the world. One must descend from these places- we cannot remain on the mountain top. Even so, to glance at heaven from a high place was a joy for the heart.
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